CARMEL – By a five to four vote, the Putnam County Legislature appointed Dan Birmingham of Brewster as its chairman for 2026.
The lawmakers conducted their organizational meeting on Tuesday evening — a session that in the past lasted for less than an hour turned into a 2 ½ hour forum consisting of discussion and debate among the GOP controlled body.
Eleven-year veteran Legislator William Gouldman of Putnam Valley, the county’s most senior lawmaker, was initially nominated as chair before newcomer, Legislator Thomas Regan nominated Birmingham.
A roll call vote endorsed Birmingham, the former deputy county executive and prior legislator who served 20 years ago.
Gouldman was then elected as vice chair by a 6-3 vote while Nancy Montgomery of Philipstown, the lone Democrat, received three votes with three of her colleagues opposed and three others abstaining.
Lengthy discussion also centered on the designation of official newspapers for the county.
The Putnam Press, a free newspaper found at local supermarkets, with no paid circulation, was initially selected before Montgomery and Birmingham lobbied for the Putnam Courier and Putnam News and Recorder to be added.
Following sometimes heated debate, the legislature decided to designate all three publications as official newspapers. State law requires that designated newspapers must have a paid circulation.
Official newspapers print legal notices for municipalities.
Birmingham will now be appointing committee assignments within the next two weeks.
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